Process for the removal of maggots from blueberries



Jan. 25, 1927, 1, 15,700

B. J; HOWARD ET AL PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF MAGGOTS FROM BLUEBERRIES Filed Feb. 2, 1926 INVENT DR 5- BURTDNL J. HEIWAHD- ATTORNEYS- CHARLES H.- STEPHENS UN.

Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE..

BURTON J. HOWARD AND CHARLES H. STEPHENSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF MAGGOTS FROM BLUEBERRTES Application filed February 2, 1926. Serial No. 85,574.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. I. 625.)

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat. 625) and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or any of its officers or employees in the prosecution of work for the Government, or any person in the United States, without payment to us of any royalty thereon. The ob 'ect of our invention is to remove maggots from blueberries through the controlled action of water at ordinary tempera tures, and not necessarily heated, and mechanical crushing or grinding of the maggoty l5 blueberries on each other. This is based up-- on the fact that blueberries containing maggots are generally more easily broken'open than the uninfested ones. In carrying out our invention we revolve the berries in hollow cylinders covered with suitable screen so constructed as to revolve freely, partially submerged in tanks of water, the level of the water being maintained automatically at any desired point.

The matter of being able to maintain a definite water level is an essential factor in the successful operation of the method since it is by this means that the correct amount of crushing and grinding action is maintained and the avoidance of excessive action prevented. The fact that different lots of berries vary somewhat in their response to this action makes as an essential feature of the method the necessity for a practical means by which the action can be moderated and fully controlled. Such control is made possible by means of an adjustable overflow discharge pipe which drains from the bottom of the water tank, thereby securing a constant level for the water and also an effective means for removing continuously the freed maggots and objectionable berry dbris.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with certain parts broken away.

Figure 2 is an end view of the same.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the preferred form of ap aratus consists of a horizontal cylinder 6 made of a frame-work of iron or steel, cross-bars M and hoops N, supported on a shaft A turning in suitable bearings A attached to the frame-work B of the tank B. The tank is supported on a base (not shown). \Vater supply pipe M is provided for tank B. The cylinder is made of any length desired, preferably 8 to 12 feet long and covered with a wire screen C of about 3 mm. space between the wires which should be of about #14 American wire gauge size. Attached equidistantly to the inside of the cylinder are placed longitudinally a plurality of flights C projecting inward to inch. Each of these flights is bent 6 inches between the two ends in slightly spiral form for the purpose of givin the berries a slight forward movement in the cylinder as it is rotated. At the feed end C of the cylinder the head piece is so cut out as to provide an inlet to permit the insertion of a trough D to convey the berries into the cylinder. At the discharge end C of the cylinder there are attached to the inside of the head piece small pick-up buckets E made of suitable screen or perforated metal so as to dip up the berries and raise them out of the water, drain them and then allow them to drop into a trough F which extends through an opening in the head piece at the discharge end of the cylinder, thus conveying them out of the cylinder and providing for continuous operation for the machine. The discharge trough F is adjustable, and is adapted to be slid 1n or out as desired and thereby allow for regulating the rate at which the berries are removed from the cylinder.

The cylinder C is suspended horizontally in a tank B so as to enable partial immersion in the water which the tank contains. The bottom of the tank should be hoppershaped so as to facilitate the movement of the freed maggots and dbris toward the discharge pipe G. The discharge pipe should be connected to the bottom of the tank near the feed end. This pipe is provided with a large valve H to enable quick emptying of the tank. By means of a side pipe I communicating with pipe G immediatel above valve H and having a flexible el ow joint J and the overflow pipe K an automatic means for leveling the water in i the tank is provided through the adjusting by depression or elevation of the overflow pipe to the point desired. The fresh water supply M enters the tank near the discharge end of the cylinder.

Tn operating, the cylinder is rotated by suitable mechanism preferably by motion imparted to pulley wheel L secured to shaft- A, at about 12 to 15 revolutions per minute. Water, which need not be heated, is run into the tank till a depth of about 7 to 8 inches is secured on the inside of the cylinder. The overflow pipe is then adjusted so as to maintain the level constant. The berries are then run into the cylinder by the i'eed trough in a continuous stream. fter running for about fifteen minutes during which time 9 bushels, more or less, have been run into the cylinder, the trough at the discharge end is adjusted so as to catch the berries from the discharge buckets so as to remove them at approximately the same rate they are being fed in, allowance being made for the berries which have been crushed and washed out through the screen covering of the cylinder.

Should an intermittent system be desired it can be attained by employing a modification of the described apparatus consisting of shorter cylinders so constructed as to allow the berries to be filled in or emptied through a door in the side. In this modified type of apparatus each cylinder is so supported on a shaft and framework and so inged to the tank as to allow it to be swung out of the tank for filling or emptying.

We claim:

The method of removing maggots and dirt from blueberries, comprising the subjection of the berries to pressure against one another in the presence of water to an extent sufficient to effect the crushing of niaggotv berries and the subsequent separation of thi: maggots and the debris from the unbroken berries by washing and screening.

BURTON J. HOWARD. CHARLES H. STEPHENSON. 

